Spain's Castilla y León Socialist leader calls for state-level forest fire pact

Carlos Martínez, the general secretary of the PSOE in Castilla y León, urged the creation of a fully public, year‑round forest fire service during a visit to Bembibre. He highlighted the recent severe wildfires that have ravaged León, Ávila, the Community of Madrid and Toledo, prompting a national emergency declaration, a unified command and the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Martínez said the demand builds on a proposal first raised by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a year earlier and criticized the lack of progress, noting opposition from the PP. He called for a “true State pact” on fire prevention and response, proposing an inter‑governmental fire table that includes all political actors, local authorities, security forces and forest owners, even those who deny climate change, to ensure coordinated action against the growing threat of wildfires.